Jenna Coleman leaving Doctor Who? 7 potential replacements

Clara Oswald’s travels through time and space may come to an end sooner than we would have hoped, as reports have been swirling that the upcoming season of Doctor Who might be Jenna Coleman’s last. The BBC has yet to make an announcement about her future on the show, and reports that Coleman has landed the lead in an ITV drama about Queen Victoria have yet to be confirmed. (But if she does leave, we can still hold out hope for a crossover! After all, everyone knows that Queen Victoria is a werewolf.)

If Clara does leave the TARDIS behind, the Doctor will soon find himself in need of a new companion, so we took the liberty of rounding up a few potential candidates. (Requirements: bravery, a sense of adventure, and an ability to run. There’s an outrageous amount of running involved.) Here are seven actors we could see joining the Doctor on his adventures through time and space.

Osgood lives! Even though the UNIT scientist was killed off by Missy in last season’s finale, the BBC has announced that Oliver will be returning as Osgood in a two-part adventure this season. Osgood’s been a fan favorite since we first met her in the 50th anniversary episode, and if she can come back from the dead, there’s no reason she can’t sign on as a full-time companion.

The Doctor Who camp has been tight-lipped about the Game of Thrones’ star’s mysterious role in the upcoming season, but according to showrunner Steven Moffat, it’s “a significant role,” and “we’re not just throwing her away.” And while Williams isn’t expected to leave Game of Thrones anytime soon, she is a Stark, and they tend to have a pretty short life expectancy — even by Westeros standards.

Last time there were rumors about Coleman’s departure, Rose Leslie was the frontrunner to replace her. Since departing Game of Thrones (R.I.P. Ygritte), Leslie has landed roles in Luther and the upcoming The Last Witch Hunter, but if she can survive north of the wall, a Dalek should be no sweat.

George popped up a few times last season as Courtney Woods, one of Clara’s pugnacious students, and although it took her a while to adjust to the TARDIS, she proved herself as a more-than-capable companion by helping to prevent the destruction of the moon.

She’s a little busy kicking ass as Peggy Carter and showing off her Dubsmash skills, but when a fan asked her last month if she’d like to be on Doctor Who, Atwell replied that she would — if she can play the Doctor. Whether she joins the series a companion or a Timelord (Timelady?), we’d love to see her on board the TARDIS.

The BBC recently announced that everyone’s favorite psychopathic archaeologist is officially returning for this year’s Christmas special. So could River Song — who, last time we saw her, was dead — be joining her husband in the TARDIS full-time? Spoilers.

Sure, most of the Doctor’s companions have been young women, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger Who fan than Ferguson. Oh, and we know that the former host of The Late Late Show would definitely get along with Peter Capaldi: The two were once in a Scottish punk band together.

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